27th October 2014
info@saen.org.uk ~ www.saen.org.uk ~ 02081447762
Dear Member,
To meet the future challenges that the expanded London Southend Airport now presents SAEN revised its constitution. After being ratified by the members at an EGM the new constitution was formally adopted by the committee on the 6th March 2014.
One of the changes introduced by the new constitution was to revise how the term of membership was organised. Rather than running from the date the member joins until the next AGM, it now always runs for a full 12 months and falls due for renewal on the anniversary of joining or renewing. New membership cards will be much more secure and carry the date membership expires. Members will be sent a reminder shortly before this happens.
The adoption of the new constitution means that the next AGM will not now be held until the spring of 2015.
The SAEN website has been extensively revised and now contains a wealth of information that we hope our members will find interesting and useful. These changes combined with the ongoing challenges to the Airport over its activities have kept the committee very busy.
We hope in the future to be able to keep members better informed of our activities though we have to be wary as always of not revealing too much about our plans to the Airport and its supporters.
In brief the following issues are ongoing: -
(a) Drainage. The extension to the runway has still not been completed in accordance with the planning consent that the council gave. SAEN continues to press the council to meet its obligations to ensure that this is done in order to control the increased runoff and stop the overloading of the Eastwood Brook.
(b) Water Quality. The quality of the water being discharged from the runway and other paved areas into the Prittle and Eastwood Brooks has been a constant problem ever since the runways were hardened in the 1950s. The recent expansion of the Airport has made this worse at a time when there is an environmental commitment for local government to improve the water quality in the rivers Crouch and Roach from good to excellent. SAEN is working to press the Airport to improve the quality of the water that it discharges into the brooks and does not degrade it with untreated de-icer or other trade effluent.
(c) Footpath 36. SAEN along with the Rambler’s Association and others opposed the redirection of this popular footpath. The redirection is in reality a closure that would prevent residents monitoring the health of the brook. The Airport was misusing the 1980 Road Traffic Act to avoid using the 1982 Civil Aviation Act that would subject the Airport to parliamentary scrutiny. Unfortunately though not surprisingly the Inspector found against us. The only grounds for appeal would be on a point of law and the expense of going to the High Court makes it unlikely that this can be done.
(d) Future Development. SAEN continually monitors developments in civil aviation in an attempt to predict the measures that the Airport is likely to take to reduce its current operating losses.
The committee believes that SAEN still plays a very important role in monitoring and seeking to control the undesirable activities and effects of the Airport. However this cannot be done without your support. If you value the work of SAEN, now or in the past, we encourage you to renew your membership when it falls due for the sum of £10. The SAEN website can facilitate signups, renewals, and donations all on one simple form.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Yours faithfully,
SAEN